Page 32 of Wounded Fox
I went back to the storage area and called Vanessa's name. When there was no answer, I headed for the back door. It was locked just as I knew it would be. With everything going on, I made sure to triple-check it every morning when I came in and every evening when I left.
"It isn't like her to be late and not call," I said more to myself than to Nolen who had followed me back.
"Try calling her."
Duh! I wanted to slap myself upside the forehead. Why hadn't I thought of that? Pulling out my phone, I pulled up Vanessa's contact information and hit dial. After one ring, it went straight to voicemail. "I think she just declined my call," I said with disbelief. That wasn't at all like Vanessa.
Before I could hit dial once again, the bell on the door chimed. "I'll be right there!" I hollered in a fake cheerful voice.
Luckily, it didn't matter; the response I got wasn't from a customer.
"No need! I'm coming to you," Aaron yelled back.
I let out a relieved sigh. Aaron was exactly who I needed in that moment.
"What's wrong?"
Like always, he knew me better than anyone and picked up my distress the second we were in the same space together.
"Vanessa didn't show up for work and now she's declining my calls."
"That's why we're here." I hadn't even noticed that Maverick, Lex, and Sheriff Andrews had walked in with Aaron. I had solely been focused on the man who made my heart flutter any time he was near.
"Please tell me something didn't happen to her?" I looked right at the sheriff and asked.
It was Maverick who answered though. "How well do you know Vanessa?"
I wasn't following along. "I don't know." I shrugged my shoulders. "Pretty well I guess, considering how often she works for me." I looked back at the sheriff. "You didn't answer my question. Did something happen to her?"
"Not that we're aware of."
That sounded ominous. "Then what's going on?"
"A package that was meant for here was accidentally delivered to Willow Creek Security today."
Relief filled me. "Oh, good. I was missing one box that said delivered. It's carrying samples of some new fabrics I want to carry."
Aaron gave me a sad look and suddenly my heart plummeted into my stomach. "It wasn't my fabric, was it?"
He shook his head at me. "No, it wasn't."
"Then can someone tell me whatisgoing on? Because all the mystery is starting to give me a lot of anxiety."
It was the sheriff who finally gave me the answer I was looking for. Although, in hindsight, maybe I didn't want to know. "Someone shipped you two dead rats."
"Dead rats?" I choked out. "Isn't that like a mafia thing? You ratted me out, so now I'm going to kill you?"
Maybe I read just a little too much mafia romance, but it was the only thing I could think of when the sheriff mentioned dead rats.
Gross!
I was glad I wasn't the unlucky person who had to open that package.
Wait . . .
"Who opened the box?" I almost cringed at my own question because I had a feeling I knew who it was even before they said the name.
"Annalee opened it."
